McCain vs Obama on Taxes, etc.

Friends and family.

I may not agree with either candidate this year but psudo-factoids drive me crazy no matter where they came from.

I received the email below (in the fine print) yesterday but I understand it has been making the rounds.

Much, if not all of it, is bogus.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes.asp

In fact, one person may have even lost a good job over this (reference the sidebar in this article: http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/would_obama_tax_my_profits_if_i.html ).

I'm not much of a fan of our uber-liberal friends at the NY Times but here's their take:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/us/politics/30check.html

US News & World Report had this footnote back in February:

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/2/20/does-obama-want-a-trillion-dollar-global-tax.html

Some of this may have come out of a distortion of this CNN article a couple of weeks back:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/18/obama.taxplan/index.html

But in the final analysis, it comes down to, as usual, politics as usual.

Good luck to all.

We're going to need it with the special interest group wrestling match going on in Congress this week.


The following is included only for reference.

--- On Thu, 9/18/08, Bev wrote:

From: Bev
Subject: Worth reading
To: Undisclosed-Recipient@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 8:14 PM


This was sent to me by my sister and I felt it worth sharing...Rick

2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE COMPARISON TALKING POINTS

ISSUE JOHN McCAIN BARAK OBAMA

Favors new drilling offshore US Yes No

Will appoint judges who Yes No
interpret the law not make it

Served in the US Armed Forces Yes No

Amount of time served in 22 YEARS 173 DAYS
the US Senate

Will institute a socialized No Yes
national health care plan

Supports abortion throughout No Yes
the pregnancy

Would pull troops out of No Yes
Iraq immediately

Supports gun ownership rights Yes No

Supports homosexual marriage No Yes

Proposed programs will mean No Yes
a huge tax increase

Voted against making English No Yes
the official language

Voted to give Social Security No Yes
benefits to illegals

- - -
CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN
0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA
28% on profit from ALL home sales. (How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.)

- - -
DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN
15% (no change)

OBAMA
39.6% - (How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president. The experts predict that 'Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.')

- - -
INCOME TAX

MCCAIN
(no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
Under Obama, your taxes could almost double!

- - -
INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN
- 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA
Restore the inheritance tax. Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.

- - -
NEW TAXES PROPOSED BY OBAMA
New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet. New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already) New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity) New taxes on retirement accounts, and last but not least....New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

not everyone

Thankfully not everyone has been sucked into this idiotic nonsense that we're ruining the planet ... Canon apparently takes that left-wing conspiracy with a grain of salt. Why else would they design a huge 160 cubic inch plastic package to sell you three ink cartridges (that take up a scant 9 cubic inches). Check it out: Item #722746 (UPC 7 50845 81387 6)

Cosmic Accident or Collector's Bonanza?

A friend brought this article to my attention this morning:

   Coins circulating without ‘In God We Trust’
   [ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17501178/ ]

Apparently, by some "accident" in the quality process at the US Government's Philadelphia mint, roughly 50,000 new Washington dollars escaped the facility last February without the phrase "In God We Trust" embossed on their outer rim (where it was banished during the design phase by the left wingers / atheists / muslims we're putting in control of the government these days). Can't imagine how that happened. Or maybe we can. Out of the 300 MILLION coins created, only 50,000 escaped the embossing machine? Let's see, that would make quite a nice collector's piece complete with a nice price wouldn't it.

Scaring our children to death.

Peggy Noonan's very introspective look on what we are doing to our children today ...

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110009992

should be required reading for every adult in the country. Not that they would care ... but at least they couldn't say no one ever told them.

and they wonder?!?!?

Check out this article on how companies screw their soon-to-be employees:

http://www.mindfully.org/Industry/Mergers-Cut-Worker-Benefits.htm

and one has to admire the extraordinary high level of restraint that the average joe exercises in NOT shooting his old boss, eh!

Illegal Collections - Don't direct deposit your social security or veteran's benefits!

Today's WSJ brings us news about collection agencies illegally stealing money from old folks with the complete cooperation of the banks these old folks entrusted with their social security funds, and the courts. Harsh you say? Read the article. Well at least the preview (WSJ only allows subscribers to read the full article). The whole article would make you cry anyhow.

Federal law is clear. It is illegal for creditor's to take anyone's social security or veteren's benefits to repay debts.

And yet, banks, courts and collection agencies do it all the time. They've learned that the penalties for getting caught are minor and the rewards are easy. What happens when anyone complains? The banks say it isn't their job. The collection agency says it isn't their job. The courts say it isn't their job. It's nobody's job. Well isn't that nice. For everyone stealing the money that is.

You would think that mighty bastion of civil liberties (ie, the ACLU) would be on this like a report of girls from the local church on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood wouldn't you. Eh! You're wrong. No money or big press in it. These old folks were lucky to get a mention in the financial paper.

Does it matter whether or not they actually owe the money? Well yes it does. Does that make it legal? No it doesn't. Does that mean any of these parties are going to stop any time real soon? No it doesn't. Easy money to a manager is easy money indeed.

What can you do? Keep an eye on your elderly family members and friends. Let them know that their social security benefits and/or veterans benefits are legally untouchable by collection agencies. Let them know that it may be easier to direct deposit their social security and/or veteran's benefit check(s) but it sure isn't safer anymore now that banks have discovered this easy revenue source.

True colors

Remember a couple weeks ago when liberal rag, Media Mutters for America (or something like that), brought to the world's attention long time radio bad-boy, Don Imus', few ill-chosen words in regard to a basketball team in an on-air interview with McGuirk? Remember the loud reaction from the left? Crucify him, crucify him! So they did.

Hillary Clinton and company, sensing a golden opportunity to pander to minorities dove in with ads and "press releases" like these:

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5490/606/1600/577450/hillaryrutgers.jpg
http://mediamatters.org/items/200704280001
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/11/obamas_silence_on_imus_alarms_some_blacks/
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/action/respect/?sc=8
http://www.hillaryproject.com/index.php?/sg_distro/comments/the_black_hand_of_hillary_clinton_hangs_don_imus/
http://www.anorak.co.uk/news/politics/172701.html
[opinions espoused in the aforementioned links are presented for reference only; and may or may not represent the opinions of yours truly]

Now, let's see what happens when the shoe is on the other foot ...

When Hillary makes a disparaging remark about a minority:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/elec04.s.mo.farmer.clinton.ap/

we're supposed to be all warm and fuzzy and forgive her this little sin she's committed.

And when Hillary makes nearly a MILLION dollars from a famous rapper, spewing the same kind of filthy language on her behalf, that she crucified Don for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FudYTAvjkFk

I guess following the money is just good old-fashioned politics, eh?

P.S. In a rare moment of lucidity, the folks at MSNBC finally played back the exchange and realized that executive producer Bernard McGuirk actually started the ill-fated commentary that Imus was responding to and fired him too! Funny, they didn't think it was such a big deal when Bernie said Hillary "was 'trying to sound black in front of a black audience' when she gave a speech on March 4 [2006] in Selma." Though, I don't recall Hillary (or Al or Jesse) rising up in righteous wrath over that either. Maybe I just missed the news that day.

P.P.S. BTW, don't waste your breath whining about how these two were racists and should not have been on the air, much less given the chance to utter this kind of speech in public. I agree. BUT, if we fired every celebrity that ever breathed similar words, there would be very few people working in hollywood or Las Vegas or New York City, and there would certainly be no such thing as rap music ... hmmm ... maybe that isn't such a bad thing, yo!

interesting hysterical note

Ran across this researching something this morning. Apparently, the telephone company was able to put off any real competition for many years to come with a sly trojan horse in the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996. Check out Andy's article for the details. Pretty slick. I hope the author got a big, fat bonus 'cause he's made them a whole lot of money over the past decade (maybe enough even to afford 8-digit salaries for CxOs ... yathink! :-) So next time you write that big check for the phone bill, also drop a "Thank you very much!" postcard to your loyal congress[wo]man who made all those new CxO vacation homes possible.

http://www.andykessler.com/andy_kessler/2005/02/wsj_sbcatt_16_c.html

New Credit Card Cons

I won't duplicate the text here but over on this Blog are some new credit card scams that might have you rushing to check the cards in your wallet! Check it out!

Now Someone Else Has To Tell Retirees No
Wall Street Journal; January 29, 2007; page B1, column 2.

Yet another article on the lengths companies go to avoid making good on the promises they made to their employees. In this latest scheme, they form a trust, dump in some cash, and walk away; leaving the employees to figure the rest out for themselves. They are not even required to fully fund the trust based on their current obligations. CEOs buy multimillion dollar homes with their bonuses while the rank and file struggles to make do with the frank'n'beans existence they're stuck with.

Native Americans On Trial Often Go Without Counsel
Wall Street Journal; February 1, 2007; page A1, column 4.

Reportedly, Native Americans brought to court in a tribal court are NOT guaranteed access to legal counsel. Apparently, when the legal elements separating the governance of Native Americans and the rest of us were being ironed out, someone overlooked the fact that the right of legal counsel is a right guaranteed in the Constitution. And, unfortunately, since Native American tribes are considered sovereign nations (thus not subject to all the benefits of the Bill of Rights), Native American defendants are not covered. And, the WSJ reporter was told that the reason that the tribes have not provided public defenders is that they don't have the money. Does anyone but me find it interesting that Native American casinos rake in billions and yet they cannot afford to provide their own people with something as basic as legal representation? Do all the casinos have spiffy law firms on retainer?

Wal-Mart Cuts Taxes By Paying Rent To Itself
Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2007, page A1, column 3.

Sam never missed a trick, eh? Here is an article on how Wal-Mart has been paying itself rent in 25 states and avoiding the state taxes on the billions in rent involved. The scheme involves Wal-Mart paying rent to a Real Estate Investment Trust that Wal-Mart owns. But because of the REIT rules, Wal-Mart avoids paying the taxes on that rent. Pretty neat scheme. According to the article, the Feds closed this loophole years ago but the states are just catching on.

Wealth A Top Priority For Today's Youth
Elmira Star-Gazette; January 26, 2007; page C1 column 2.

A recent AP article by Martha Irvine talked about the materialistic children of today. If you are a regular Oprah viewer, you might remember a recent episode when asked about her motives for building in a school in South Africa rather than here in the US, she replied that [essentially] the South African children would appreciate it more and make better use of her gift! And, sadly, I believe she is correct!

She doesn't go "there" specifically, but the problem as I see it is the gradual but highly effective efforts of liberals in replacing the American Dream of our forefathers with the Its-All-About-Me attitude in the last several generations. As the social elite removed ethics, morals, respect and the Bible from our schools and everyday life, the whole nation has suffered (ie, rampant porn, degradation of women, callousness toward life, divorce, casual sex, ...).

A young man is quoted in Irvine's article as saying, "To be completely honest, I don't even appreciate everything I have sometimes. Yes, I have a nice apartment, a great job, a great degree, great clothing. But I feel empty inside rather often." His response was to run off and amuse himself with a whole new activity. Me, myself and I. If he cared to listen I could tell him that his new pastime won't fill that void either. That void is meant for a specific person ... and, no, I am not going to preach at him ... this is something that he has to come to grips with for himself.

But as a temporary filler, perhaps volunteering at a local shelter or Salvation Army branch might be a far better use of his obvious skills. Done with the proper attitude of humility, it could start him on the road of understanding what is really important in this life: caring for one's fellow man.